Donors Moved By Girl`s Plight

June 9, 1985|By Jean Marbella, Staff Writer

A 16-year-old Columbian girl, blinded and disfigured in an auto accident that also killed her mother, has inspired nearly $6,000 in contributions from friends and strangers to help pay for reconstructive surgery.

Patty Narvaez, who now lives in Fort Lauderdale, faces about $12,200 worth of surgery to correct the lingering damage from the accident, but her family has no insurance and a Miami hospital was reluctant to accept her without assurance it would be paid.

But now classmates at Northeast High School and strangers who learned of her problem have come to her rescue.

``We thought we should do something for her. After losing one parent, for her to come back so quick, she should be commended for it,`` said Judy Jones, a vice president of the school`s student council.

The council dipped into its treasury for $300 to contribute to a trust fund that has been set up in Patty`s name to help pay for the surgery. Another student group held a car wash and made $200 for the fund.

And Monday night Nepenthe, a Fort Lauderdale dance club for teen-agers, will hold a benefit for Patty.

Nepenthe general manager Douglas R. Brown said he and several employees had read an article in the News/Sun-Sentinel about Patty`s problem in getting the surgery. ``It sort of made me think,`` Brown said.

It also spurred some action -- he talked with people at Northeast and in conjunction with the students came up with the idea for a benefit. The club will charge $6 -- less than its usual $10 cover -- for an evening of music, soft drinks and a buffet. Employees will work for less than their usual pay and the profits will go toward the fund.

The fund has generated 16 contributions -- ranging from $5 to $3,000 -- from persons who read about Patty. She moved here to live with an older sister after the accident. A businessman who requested anonymity has also said he would like to contribute the amount that would bring Patty`s resources up to the total sum needed for the surgery.